The terrible tragedy at New Delhi Railway Station on 15 February, in which 18 people reportedly died and hundreds were injured, was avoidable. The train’s capacity was limited, confusion over which train to board was rampant, and the culpability of the railways, police, and organisers was apparent. What happened was due to a lack of planning and systemic neglect, but above all, the root cause was the attitude of the authorities.

When I speak of attitude, two deeply ingrained tendencies come to mind—so entrenched in our DNA that they seem impossible to erase. The first is over-deference to those who matter. The second—stemming from the first—is indifference, bordering on callousness, towards those who do not. The consequence is that for any event of any size—big or small—we have a hierarchical approach. Special arrangements must be made for VIPs, in which there is zero scope for inefficiency and mismanagement. Every detail must be taken care of, including the deployment of excess personnel and resources.

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The reason for this is entirely selfish, and has nothing to do with respect for the powerful. Organisational overzealousness is motivated simply by fear: anything that goes wrong in VIP arrangements entails instant........

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